NC Reports Highest Number Of COVID-19 Patients In ICU Yet

NORTH CAROLINA — North Carolina's intensive care unit beds are filling up, as the state reported its highest number yet of COVID-19 patients in ICU beds Thursday.

As of Aug. 26, North Carolina hospitals reported at least 883 adult COVID-19 patients in ICU, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. One out of every four of the 3,552 COVID patients in North Carolina hospitals is in ICU, according to DHHS data.

The influx of ICU patients is putting pressure on ICU beds across the state. Only 298 staffed ICU beds representing about 13 percent supply remained available in North Carolina Thursday, DHHS said.

The news comes as the state reported nearly 9,000 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state, nearly 2,500 more cases than reported Wednesday.

Vaccination rates continue to wane in the state as transmission levels continue to remain at a "high" level in every county of the state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 41 percent of adults in the state were considered fully vaccinated against coronavirus as of Thursday, the CDC said.

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